01/10/2026
When are X-rays the right choice? 🩻
Radiography is one of the most valuable diagnostic tools in equine orthopaedics — but the right imaging technique depends on the question we are trying to answer.
X-rays are particularly useful for evaluating bones and joints. 🦴 They can help identify fractures, osteoarthritis, bone remodelling, developmental orthopaedic conditions and many other skeletal abnormalities.
Radiographs are commonly used when investigating:
🐴 lameness and poor performance
🐴 joint or foot pain
🐴 acute bone injuries
🐴 developmental orthopaedic conditions
🐴 pre-purchase examinations
🐴 progression or healing of orthopaedic conditions
But an abnormality on an X-ray does not necessarily explain a horse’s clinical signs.
The image always needs to be interpreted in the context of the horse. 🐎
This is why radiography is combined with a thorough clinical and locomotion examination and, when appropriate, diagnostic analgesia or complementary imaging such as ultrasound, CT or MRI.
The goal is not simply to find an abnormality. It is to determine whether it is clinically relevant and what it means for that individual horse.
Good imaging answers a clinical question. 🙏
